


The Other Side of Love

by sullacat



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Bottom Spock, Drama, Falling In Love, M/M, Marriage of Convenience, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-20
Updated: 2011-03-20
Packaged: 2017-10-17 04:11:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/172760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sullacat/pseuds/sullacat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>First comes love, then comes marriage... or is it the other way around? Leonard and Spock must marry or leave the <i>Enterprise</i>. This shouldn't be a problem... right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Other Side of Love

**Author's Note:**

> My submission for the Livejournal ST_Respect Event Two challenge: 'Origins' for Team Spones. I do not own Star Trek or any of these characters. For entertainment purposes only.
> 
> Soundtrack for this fic can be found [here](http://8tracks.com/sullacat/other-side-of-love).

"So, you want the good news or the bad news?"

Leonard sat down heavily in the chair in Jim's office. There was something strange about meeting here, not over lunch or in one of their quarters after work, and it made Leonard nervous. "What's going on?" he asked. But Jim just sat down behind his desk, got _that_ look on his face, and all of a sudden Leonard knew it wasn't good. "Spit it out."

"Got a communication from Starfleet today - well, two, really, in the past couple of days." Jim looked down at his computer terminal, tapping at a few keys. "We knew it was coming, with the end of the first mission a few months away."

Leonard sat a moment, trying to figure out what Jim was talking about, when all of a sudden, it hit him. "They're reassigning me?"

Jim nodded. "Trying to, anyway. You and Spock," he shook his head as he looked at the message, then clicked the screen off in disgust. "Each of you is supposed to report to a new ship if you sign up for another five year mission. I may be able to keep one of you, with some creative begging to the right admirals, but not both of you."

Leonard's eyes fell down to his hands. He and Jim went back a long way, best friend he'd ever had - but Leonard was smart enough to know that the high success rate of the _Enterprise_ 's mission was due to the partnership of Kirk and Spock. The two of them were an unbeatable team. That would be the smart move, to keep the Vulcan. "Earlier, you said good news and bad news. What was that about?"

Then Jim looked up at him with that glint in his eyes, and Leonard _knew_ Jim had something up his sleeve. "What?" he repeated, clearly worried now.

"I've got a plan."

 

 

And what a plan it was. Sitting in his CMO's office later, Leonard stared at the medical notes on his computer console, not really reading anything. His mind was still reeling from Jim's idea.

_Article 71.2C - Reassignments: Personnel can apply to remain on the ship with their spouse with the permission of the captain if such appointment does not create an imbalance in authority._

In Jim's head, the best way for both men to remain on board was to be married to each other. That way, Jim could request one of them remain on board, and the other might be granted permission to be assigned to the _Enterprise_ as well. On paper, it sounded easy as pie.

The reality felt a hundred times more complicated.

Leonard had been married before, and while he admired the institution, he didn't expect to be anyone's husband, at least not for a very long time. Shipboard romances didn't seem to work out, and when push came to shove, he had to admit that he wasn't the easiest man to get along with. But more than that, the plan itself was ludicrous. No one who knew Doctor McCoy and Commander Spock would believe them to be anything other than friends, albeit it cantankerous friends at that.

But... they needed to do something, or one of them would be gone. This plan of Jim's... at least they didn't have to appear to be married. Something nominal, on paper. Just last long enough to get their assignments for their next five year mission, then a quick annulment. No one else any wiser, if they were lucky.

Didn't have to act married. Didn't have to act like they were in love.

Leonard snorted to himself, closing the unread computer files. As if Spock _would_ act like he loved anyone. Leonard had seen Spock show some sort of affection to Nyota, in the early days of their mission, but that hadn't lasted too long. Perhaps they suffered the same fate as so many other shipboard relationships. Duty first.

 

 

Later that night as he sat in his room reading, Leonard's mind kept wandering back to Jim's dilemma. He wanted to make things easier for Jim, he really did, but - would this even work? After staring at the screen without seeing the words again for almost an hour, he decided he needed to get his mind off the subject.

And he wanted some pie.

Heading down to the galley, nearly empty at this time of the night, Leonard made a beeline toward the baked goods. No pie, unfortunately, but someone made cheesecake that afternoon, and that was a nice surprise. He grabbed a slice and some coffee, found a table in the corner and sat down to enjoy the creamy goodness. But just as he was about to get up and leave, Spock walked in.

 

Leonard hadn't seen him since the Senior Staff meeting the previous day, when they'd gotten into it over safety regulations. Right now Spock looked a little lost in thought as he made himself a mug of hot chocolate. It wasn't a look that Leonard had seen often on the Vulcan, and he wondered if Spock had the same things on his mind. "Hey," Leonard called out from his corner table.

Spock looked up. "Doctor."

Leonard pointed at the chair opposite him, inviting Spock to join him. "Trouble sleeping?"

"No," Spock replied, blowing on his hot chocolate in a way that made Leonard grin. "Not yet," he admitted.

The two of them had spent many evenings discussing subjects ranging from the medical issues being worked on Natara, the new homeland for the Vulcan people to ship-wide gossip. Leonard learned that the two men were not quite as dissimilar as it might appear on the surface, and more often that not their disagreements gave them both a deeper understanding of the other side's position, rather than a fight to determine who was right and who was wrong. It taught Leonard a lot about the Vulcan culture, and how this particular Vulcan worked.

"Has Jim talked to you about..." Leonard didn't even know how to phrase it, "his idea?"

Spock nodded as he sat, leaning back in his chair. "We had a lengthy conversation yesterday regarding his grand plan." A little smile played on his lips, as if after five years Spock was as familiar with Jim's 'plans' as Leonard.

There was a moment of silence as Spock slowly sipped his cocoa. "Can we talk about this? I mean, what do you think?"

Long fingertips curled around the steaming mug. "As I am unwilling to leave the ship at this time, and I have come up with no better ideas," Spock began ruefully, "I admit I have entertained his notion." Spock took another sip of the cocoa. "You?" he asked, looking back up at Leonard with curious eyes.

McCoy shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, it sounds crazy. No one would believe it."

Spock gave that elusive smile again. "No one?"

Leonard lifted his chin. "You think it would be believed?"

"One cannot disbelieve a legal relationship. Either it would exist or it would not exist." Spock shrugged his shoulders, almost imperceptibly. "And I cannot say that it is the worst plan Jim's had..."

McCoy laughed. "You may be right about that."

 

 

"Doctor McCoy?"

Leonard looked up to see a medic standing in his office doorway. "Yeah?" he asked, saw Spock appear behind the young man. "Oh, Commander. What can I do for you today?"

Spock waited for the medic to leave, then stepped into Leonard's office, the door sliding closed behind him. "I've done some calculations, considered a few alternatives and agree with Jim." His fingertips touched together as he took a breath. "I believe this plan of his may work."

Something inside Leonard's chest loosened, that feeling when a decision has been made. "So... is that a yes?"

Spock looked almost amused for a moment. "Yes, Doctor. I accept."

Leonard stood, "Hey, wait, I didn't propose."

Spock arched an eyebrow quickly. "I believe you did, Leonard," he replied before leaving. Leonard stared at it a long moment, then sat back down and rubbed his eyes.

 

 

 

The ceremony itself was nondescript. Jim calculated that the longer they could establish a legal relationship, the stronger their case so the next afternoon Leonard and Spock met in Jim's office and signed the legal documentation that joined them in marriage.

A few jokes from Jim aside, it was over and done with in a few minutes. Spock made a hasty retreat, saying he had an experiment that required his close attention, and left without looking at either of them.

Leonard sat down across from Jim in the same chair he'd sat in a few days earlier, when he first heard Jim's crazy plan. "This isn't going to end well," he muttered, downing the drink Jim handed him as fast as he could.

"It'll get better," Jim told him, in that nonplussed way of his. "It isn't like you two hate each other."

"No, we get along pretty well. It's just - I didn't plan on ever getting married again, and even if I did, I thought... ah, forget it."

Jim's voice was quiet and low, not the captain's voice everyone else heard. "You thought it might mean something... something real?" When Leonard nodded, he continued. "'Real' is hard for people like us, Bones," Jim said quietly. "Never saw three people more married to their jobs than us, you know?" Jim had that look on his face, not the charming captain, but a man who had come to terms with his choices.

"...Yeah," Leonard agreed quietly. Sad but true - Starfleet was their life, the three of them.

"But it works, the three of us together. Maybe I'm selfish, but I don't want to split the team up. I appreciate you doing this - you know that, right?"

"I know Jim... I'll just be glad when its all over."

 

 

_Three months later..._

 

Something in Leonard's stomach twisted when he saw the message from Jim. **Meet me in my office, now.** He gruffed out something to Christine about meeting the captain and headed up to Jim's office.

But Jim wasn't alone. "Hey there," he nodded at Spock and Jim. "What's going on?"

Jim pointed to the two chairs he set up for them, and sat down behind his desk. "We got a problem."

The moment of silence after that seemed to last an eternity. "What?" Leonard finally demanded.

"Captain Qu'ar on board the _Hood_ really wants you," he told Leonard. "An official inquiry's been called. They don't believe me. Or you. The two of you. Someone from Starfleet is being sent to investigate whether or not your marriage is real."

 _Shit._ "But it isn't." Nothing in Leonard's life had changed since that day three months prior, when he and Spock married. They maintained separate quarters, still argued with each other during Senior Staff meetings, and had the occasional drink together with Jim after work.

"That isn't the point," Jim snapped. "We have to show that it is if I have any chance of keeping the two of you with me."

Leonard sighed. Again. Turning his head, he noted a slight green flush to Spock's cheeks. The Vulcan hadn't said a word about this, and that concerned him. "Okay, Jim. We'll get on this."

"Do it," Jim said, turning his seat back to the terminal, shaking his head at the screen.

 

 

After they left Jim's office, Leonard followed Spock to his office. "So, how do we make this look like its real?"

"The legal relationship exists, Doctor," Spock said, stepping behind his desk and pouring a cup of tea, "therefore I am not certain-"

"Listen to me, hobgobblin of mine," he said, exasperated as Spock handed him the tea and began pouring a second for himself. "These people will be expecting to see two people in love. At least one, _me_ , since I'm the only one of us that shows any goddamn emotions here."

"As you say, I am not human," Spock took a sip of his hot drink, "so I fail to see how this affects me."

Leonard wanted to throw the tea across the room. "You're the one I'm supposed to be in love with! I need you to appear to be, even if just for a few days, someone caring and decent, someone that I might _actually_ fall in love with. Someone who might actually want to be with me in return."

Spock's back stiffened at that tirade, and Leonard immediately felt bad. "Look," he began, then his comm device went off. **Plasma conduit burns, please return. CC**. "Something's happened, I need to get back to work." He carefully placed the tea cup back on Spock's desk. "Can we meet later to talk about this, once we've both cooled down a little?

Spock nodded, and Leonard hurried out of the room and back to his medical bay where he felt safe, and where he could try and think this thing out.

 

 

"Okay," Leonard said slowly, getting comfortable in his overstuffed chair. They agreed to meet on the Observation Deck, serving the double purpose of being neutral ground, and letting them be seen together by others on board. "Get the big stuff out of the way early, I guess." He took a sip from his water, wishing it was something stronger, but he'd need a clear head for this. "You have any suggestions?

"I have," Spock said, pulling at a thread on his tunic. "First, we need to establish a single household where we cohabit."

"You think we need to live together?"

Spock nodded. "I cannot see how we can portray ourselves to be in a committed relationship without at least appearing otherwise. I suggest your quarters, as it is more imperative that you be close to Sickbay."

"I suppose..." Leonard had just wrapped his mind around the fact that they would have to live together. "Thanks - I appreciate that."

Spock nodded, as if it were nothing. "I also suggest that we appear to be involved in a romantic relationship in order to fool the crew as well as the investigator. He or she is bound to inquire amongst the others on board if we are 'together'." Leonard grinned at Spock's air quotes around the word 'together'.

"You're right," Leonard told him. "Whoever Starfleet sends is bound to ask other people we know about us. I think if we're gonna do this, we have to go all the way."

"Agreed." Spock took a drink of his sparkling water. "Perhaps... we will need to be seen participating in courting activities - attending social events together, talking long walks."

"A few," Leonard nodded. "Not like we're the sort to do that stuff anyway, so it might not come as a surprise to our friends when we turn up one day attached to each other."

Spock's comm device went off. He glanced down at it, his lips tightening. "My apologies, Doctor. It is my turn to leave the conversation unfinished." He glanced back up at Leonard. "I can be ready to move some of my personal effects into your room tomorrow morning. It should not take very long."

"I'll come by after breakfast, give you a hand," Leonard answered, a little stunned that this was all happening so soon.

That look must have shown on his face. "Come now, Leonard," Spock said, standing. "According to the Federation, you and I have been married for three months now." But as Spock walked by, he paused at Leonard's chair. His hand rested on Leonard's shoulder, giving it a warm squeeze before he offered two fingers to Leonard.

He'd seen this before, seen Spock and Nyota do this, as well as other Vulcans he'd cared for over the years. He felt a little silly, lifting his hands and pressing his two fingers to to Spock's fingertips, not expecting the quiet gesture to feel so intimate.

" _K'diwa_ ," Spock said quietly, a greenish flush on his face as their their fingers slid together.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Leonard replied, watching Spock leave the room without looking back. Only then did he notice how everyone else had stopped to look at them. Damn... but this is what they wanted, right? Finishing his drink, he left the glass on the table and headed out.

 

 

"Um, what do you sleep in?"

Spock's eyebrow arched at the question and he stopped momentarily stopped placing clothing into the travel bag. "Generally the temperature on the ship is cool for me, but I have been able to regulate it in my room to something more acceptable, so I can sleep with minimal garments. A pair of loose trousers, usually," he continued, "and there is a cotton shirt I have had for many years that is comfortable."

"So, it's always like a sauna in here?" Leonard asked, sitting on the bed in Spock's room, watching Spock pack his closet.

There was a slight curl on Spock's lips. "Yes."

"Well, not with me. I like it cooler," Spock shivered at Leonard's words, as if he could already feel the chill of Leonard's bedroom. "With lots of blankets."

Spock continued packing, reaching taking some garments from a drawer. "Why not simply raise the temperature if you are cold?"

"I sleep better if I'm cold."

Spock paused again, looking at Leonard. "But you cover yourself in blankets."

Vulcans... "But that's the point," Leonard told him. "They're heavy, and that heaviness helps me fall asleep."

Spock sighed, a dignified sort of sigh. "That makes no sense, Leonard. What sort of pajamas do you sleep in?"

But Leonard just shook his head and smiled, trying not to enjoy the look on Spock's face too much. Leonard had taken off the entire morning to help Spock move, but it didn't look like there was much packed and ready to move, just two small boxes and the clothing Spock was folding into his travel bag.

"Is there anything else I can help with?" he asked, feeling useless.

Spock shook his head. "I did not think it necessary to completely take over your quarters. This facade should not take more than a week."

"Well, no, I hope not," Leonard replied, "but I do think we need more than clothes to make it look as if you live there. Something personal, you know?" Looking around Spock's room, there were several examples of Spock's personal possessions, bits and pieces of his Vulcan heritage that he obviously took pride in (as well as some questionable weaponry).

Spock stood silent for a moment, and Leonard wondered if the Vulcan had even heard him when he emitted a small sigh. "Very well," he nodded, sliding open his closet door again and removing his lyre. As he walked toward the door, he paused, resting his hand on a small sculpture of a cat. "If you will take those boxes," he added, picking up his clothing and another small box.

There were a few who glanced sideways at the two of them in the corridor, but no one brave enough to actually stop and ask. When they got to Leonard's room, Spock placed his boxes on the table and looked around.

"Well," Spock murmured under his breath. That seemed to say it all.

"I've had you added to the room's owner-permissions," Leonard told him, stepping into the room and dropping Spock's box carefully on the sofa, "so the controls should all work for you. I don't know how long this is gonna last, but I want you to feel at home here. Anything you need, just let me know."

"Thank you, Leonard," Spock said quietly. He picked up his sculpture, and looked around for several moments before he found a spot on the bookshelf. "Is this an acceptable place for this?"

"That's fine," Leonard answered. "It's nice... I mean, you can put it anywhere."

Spock looked at him, then moved it up a shelf to a more prominent area. His fingers lingered on it for a moment before he returned to unpacking his box of clothing. "It was my mother's."

"Oh," Leonard answered, that small detail explaining its importance. "She was important to you?"

"When I was small, she was everything to me." Spock found the space in the closet that Leonard had emptied for him, and began hanging his clothes. "I grew older and my father's influence grew larger, but she always remained my more fervent supporter. There were times I felt..." Spock paused in his unpacking, sitting down to talk. "I would wish she was not so demonstrative with her small attentions, and I know she tried for my sake to keep her affection to herself." He was quiet a moment, as if realizing he'd spoken too much, too fast. "Seeing you and others talk about your families... I understand now how hard it must have been for her to not show the affection a human mother would desire to show."

"It's not that different for us," Leonard told him, opening one of Spock's boxes, and pulling out some toiletries. "When you're little, your mother is your whole world, then-" he grinned, "then you get older and you just want your dad to be proud of you."

"Yes," Spock nodded as if he understood what Leonard was trying to say. "Was your father proud of you?"

"I like to think so, in the end." Spock knew what most people knew about Leonard's father - the sad part, but not the heartbreaking part. "How is your father?" he asked, changing the subject slightly. Leonard knew from Jim that Spock's relationship with his father remained strained.

"He continues to serve on the High Council. My last communication from him indicated that he was well." Spock stopped talking, his hand on a small box. "This is for you." Leonard watched as Spock pulled out two wide golden bands. "In order to keep up this pretense I believe we need these. I hope you do not mind, I had them customized to what would be considered acceptable to me."

Leonard took his and slipped it on his finger. It felt good, that cool metal on his skin, the heaviness familiar even after all these years. "Thank you," he said softly. "I hadn't thought about this, but... yeah, I guess you're right." He took Spock's and slid it on his finger. "There you go," he said, catching Spock's eyes, dark and clouded. "We'll get through this."

"Of course," Spock replied, looking down at his hand before finishing unpacking his boxes, making the room look as much his as Leonard's. "I believe, as you would say, this is as good as it is going to get."

Leonard laughed. "Guess so." One week before they reached Earth and the counselor who'd been assigned to look into their marriage. One week to become a real couple.

 

That night they had dinner out in public together, walking closely and trying to look like two people who loved each other. Friends and co-workers to saw them said 'hello' but everyone seemed to give them their space, and if anyone noticed they had on matching wedding bands, no one stopped to inquire about it, although Leonard was sure the gossip lines were going to be busy that night.

After dinner, they took a walk around the arboretum, Leonard knowing that Spock loved the trees, even if he didn't understand exactly why. He'd ask, eventually, but right now there were many other questions they had to answer for each other, anything that the interviewer might ask. Their likes, their dislikes, favorite foods, childhood memories.

"We should probably discuss sexual preferences, as undoubtedly we shall be asked about that."

Leonard stopped, watching as Spock continued walking, his eyes drawn to a maple leaf. "...Yeah, I guess so," he said, catching up to Spock. "That's probably a big one that we need to know about."

Spock continued to examine the leaf. "I prefer to be penetrated," he said in a soft voice, a green flush high on his cheeks.

"Good," Leonard murmured in a low, rough voice, surprised by Spock's frankness. "Because I, um, I like to be the one that does the, you know, penetrating." His own face went red, judging by the curl of Spock's lips.

The Vulcan arched an eyebrow. "Convenient," he said, then continued walking.

 

 

"How do you feel about children?"

Spock looked across from his salad at Leonard. "It is an expectation that as a Vulcan I will produce a certain number of children, to assist with population regrowth."

"How's that gonna happen, if you're out here with us?"

"There is time. With my considerably long lifespan, I can serve Starfleet for another twenty or thirty years and still be considered a young man. And," he hesitated, "the Vulcan Science Academy has genetic material, should something happen to me out here. My lineage would continue."

"But what about children," Leonard asked. "Don't you want to see them? To know them?"

Spock continued eating. "It would bring me pleasure to have young ones, but I cannot think of that right now. My first duty is to the _Enterprise_ , Starfleet, and the Federation." He took another bite of his salad. "And you, Leonard? Do you wish to have more children?"

"I'd have loved to have had more, but it wasn't in the cards for us. Now..." Leonard stirred his soup, staring at the bowl. "Well, its kinda hard to find someone willing to accept the level of danger that accompanies this job."

"You could always return to your home after this tour is over. "

Leonard shook his head. "Can't leave Jim out here alone."

Spock's lips curled again, a familiar look now. "Your concern for the captain is admirable, but there are other physicians-"

"No," Leonard interrupted. "Jim - he pulled me out of a very low time in my life. Got me up and on my feet. I owe him, and as long as he's out here," Leonard nodded, "I'm gonna make sure he's taken care of."

"You are fond of him."

"He's my best friend. "

Spock put his fork down and folded his hands in thought. "Friendship is a human quality that I find fascinating," he began. "I admire Jim, more than any other human I've ever met, and yet, I realize that the time will come when I will have to leave him and the _Enterprise_."

The idea of that day coming hurt something inside Leonard. "But not yet?"

"No, Doctor," Spock picked up his fork and continued eating. "Not yet."

 

 

The nights were the strangest part. The first night, Spock insisted on sleeping on the sofa. One night of that was apparently enough, as he accepted Leonard's invitation to share the bed the next evening. "I'm not gonna attack you or anything," he added, enjoying Spock's long-suffering look back at him.

But it was a promise he couldn't keep. Every morning since he'd woken up with his arm around Spock, his face tucked into the back of Spock's neck, their legs tangled together. Each morning one of them extracted himself while the other pretended to be asleep, and went into the shower.

Five mornings this happened, and neither man made any attempt to mention it. Leonard wondered if Spock were embarrassed about it, but each night both of them got into their sleeping pants and crawled into the same bed, together.

 

 

When Spock entered their quarters that night, Leonard was on the sofa, tall glass of bourbon in his hand. "I heard about Ensign Romero," Spock said, sitting down. "Do you require anything?" he said, a worried look on his face.

"Another couple of hours to try and fix him," Leonard said bitterly, taking a long drink. He'd worked on that kid for hours and still the young ensign died, some stupid fungal parasite. Looking up at Spock, he saw what he now recognized as a strained look around his eyes. "What's wrong."

Spock went into the bathroom to change into his evening clothing, didn't answer until he'd returned. "I had a lengthy conversation with Nyota this afternoon."

 _Shit._ "How's she doing?" Leonard had seen her a few times since word of their marriage had gotten out, but it had always been public, no time for personal conversation. On some level, Leonard was a little scared to talk to her.

"In the end, she wanted to wish us well in our new relationship. Yet... I believe she was hurt by the announcement." Spock's eyes were dark with worry. "It was not what I intended."

"I know," Leonard answered quietly, taking another drink. "You okay?" he asked, reaching over at touching Spock's shoulder.

"I'm fine, Leonard," Spock replied, but a few moments later he was sitting on what had become 'his' chair, eating some chocolate mousse. Leonard chuckled to himself, taking another drink and closing his eyes. Alcohol didn't affect Spock, but some of the more refined chocolates had a pleasantly intoxicating effect, or so Spock told him once.

 

 

As the evening went on, Leonard had a couple more glasses of bourbon, and found himself less embarrassed to talk to Spock. "So, this whole fake marriage - it doesn't seem to bother you."

Spock did not seem intoxicated by the dessert, though Leonard knew it was hard to tell with Vulcans. "My life has not been radically altered in any way, other than spending more time with you, which," he glanced over at Leonard, an amused look in his eyes, "has not been terribly painful."

 _Ass_. "Glad to hear that."

"Indeed. I decided to look at it as a learning experience, deepening my knowledge of the human concept of marriage."

"It is different, being married in the Vulcan way?"

Spock nodded, for the first time showing something that looked like concern. "We are presented with bond mates at a young age, so the courtship rituals that we undertake carry a deeper significance. The bond between _t'hy'la_ that is created would take precedent over any legal relationship in the eyes of a Vulcan."

Well. "You have a bond mate already?"

"Had," Spock replied quietly. "She was on Vulcan."

Leonard bit his lip. "Did you care about her?"

"She was going to be my wife," Spock said simply. "But I had not seen her since we were children, Leonard. That sort of sentimentality does not color our relationships."

"But your father - he married a human."

Spock stopped again, looking at Leonard with curious eyes. "He did." Then a small smile on Spock's face. "My father, I suppose, fell victim to my mother's human charms."

"Unable to defend himself?" Leonard laughed, feeling warm inside from more than the bourbon. "Well, we are a charming species."

Spock's eyes were different now, open and sparkling. "You are." Then he stood, reaching out to help Leonard get up, steadying him. "Come, it is time for bed. Go get ready."

Leonard washed his hands and face in the bathroom. He took a deep breath as he looked at himself in the mirror, wondering how much longer it would be, this game they were playing. There were times when Spock seemed like he just wanted to be rid of him as fast as he could, and then others when the Vulcan looked at him as if he really cared.

Turning off the lights, Leonard headed toward the bedroom, and stopped in his tracks at what he was looking at - Spock, naked and laying face down on the bed.

"What..." he asked, taking a few steps closer. He could see the lube laying next to Spock, who turned to face him, still not speaking. Some thing needy inside Leonard took over, and he kicked off his pajama pants as he climbed on the bed.

His eyes took in Spock's long form, seeing him for the first time like this, his lean, muscular body spread out for him like a banquet. Spock pushed the lube into his hand, and Leonard's cock stood rock hard and soon two fingers were inside Spock's ass, twisting and warming the tight muscle. Large hands lifted Spock's hips high in the air and soon it was his cock inside Spock, a quiet grunt as Leonard seated himself fully.

His hands moved to Spock's shoulders, pulling Spock onto his cock with each slow, deep thrust inside. But still no words, just the slapping of skin, faster, flesh hitting flesh, guttural noises torn from the Vulcan that fueled Leonard's need to push deeper and deeper. It was too much, the heat and tightness and soon he began fucking with abandon, groaning and cursing and calling out Spock's name as he came.

Exhausted, Leonard fell to the side, panting and out of breath. One hand reached around Spock, found his erection and began stroking it, slow tugs. Spock's back arched into him and he made that low rumble again, against Leonard's chest, and when Spock came, Leonard swore he could feel it inside him.

 

 

The next morning, when Leonard woke up, Spock had already showered, dressed, and was getting ready to leave. "Hey," he said, sitting up.

"Good morning, Leonard," Spock said with his usual crispness. "I trust you are well?"

"I'm just fine. How are you?"

"Adequate," he answered, pulling on his boots.

Adequate? "So, what was that, last night?" Leonard asked, unsettled by Spock's distance after that bout of amazing sex.

"We needed to consummate our marriage. In many societies, a union is not considered valid until that step has been taken."

Leonard closed his eyes, laying there in bed. "Of course," he chuckled ruefully to himself. That is all it had been, just some fucking.

Spock glanced at himself in the mirror, straightening out his uniform shirt. Then he took two steps closer to Leonard, touching his head with two fingers. " _K'diwa_... I shall see you tonight at dinner," he told Leonard as he left, leaving the doctor more confused than ever.

 

 

The morning seemed normal enough. Jim contacted him to say his away team down was heading down to investigate some trouble between feuding clans on this planet they were orbiting, but it was routine, nothing out of the ordinary.

That should have been his first hint. He was patching up a dislocated shoulder when he heard Jim's voice. "Bones, come here!"

But it wasn't Jim sitting on the biobed, it was Spock, pale and covered in green blood, with a bullet wound to his shoulder. "I thought this was a pre-industrial society," he growled at Jim, working on Spock's wounds.

"So did we," Jim bit back. "You got him now?" he asked.

"Yeah, I got him. Go on, get back to the bridge and let me take care of this."

Jim squeezed his shoulder and took off, doing his captain thing, Leonard thought as he prepared to remove the bullet from Spock. "Someone get him some more blood, he's paler than a ghost." An hour later, the offending projectile was on the table, and the muscular re-generator was busy re-knitting Spock's shoulder muscles.

Spock regained consciousness during the procedure, but he didn't speak, simply watched as the doctor focused his attention on fixing him.

It wasn't until he was all done that Spock said anything. "Doctor."

Something about the way he said that word cut him, and Leonard turned around, pointing his finger at Spock. "No."

"Leonard," Spock tried again.

"Spock, I am not in the mood right now -"

But Spock stopped his hands, tilting Leonard's chin up with one finger. "I am well, Leonard." Then he leaned in and kissed him in front of everyone, soft and chaste, and Leonard just closed his eyes and accepted it, feeling that small bit of emotion pass between them. When he opened his eyes, Spock appeared to be his old self, placid expression, but his eyes were warm. "If I am ready, I should like to attend to my duties on the bridge."

"Bed rest, until tomorrow," Leonard told him, feeling his face flush.

"If you insist." His voice was soft, rounded, not his usual acerbic tone. Standing, Spock gathered the tattered remains of his uniform shirt and looked back over at him. "I shall see you when you get home," he said, slowly walked out the sliding doors.

"Doctor?" He turned around to see Christine standing behind him. "Leonard, why don't you take the rest of the day as well. We've got it here, if something comes up I'll contact you." She glanced back at the doors where Spock had just left. "I think he needs you right now more than we do."

Leonard looked back at the door, and at the rest of the staff, busy pretending they hadn't just seen their boss get all flustered from a kiss. "I'll have my communicator on, if anything comes up," he told them.

"Go look after him," she said, a little grin on her face. "It's nice seeing you like this, Doctor."

 

 

The room was dark when Leonard entered their rooms. Leonard sat down on the bed, watching Spock resting on his back, too stiff to be asleep. "Hey." Spock didn't say anything as Leonard undressed and climbed into bed next to him. "Are you okay?"

Spock watched Leonard's face, then leaned in and kissed him, soft at first, then deeper. "Leonard," Spock whispered, kissing along his jawline. They lay there a few minutes, just nuzzling, nosing against each other, communicating in a way they never could with words. After a bit of maneuvering, Leonard lay behind Spock, on his side, resting the injured shoulder against him.

From this position, Leonard's hand roamed all over Spock's torso, pinching at his nipples, gripping his cock, cupping his scrotum. His fingers darting everywhere while he stroked Spock off slow, his own cock sliding up and down between the cleft of Spock's muscular ass. Soon they were both coming, Spock first, then Leonard, groaning in each others' mouths as they kissed and held on to each other all night.

Everything about this confused him. Leonard lay there, listening to Spock's even breathing as he slept and tried to figure this all out. It had been years since anyone held him like this, but it wasn't love. Couldn't be. Was this just some sex they were enjoying, given the opportunity?

Did Spock care about him, about _this_ at all? And what was going to happen after this charade was all over?

"Why did you decide to get married?"

They both stared at Lieutenant Rola, an older woman with graying hair and sharp eyes who had been sent by Starfleet to investigate them. Leonard began to speak, one of their many pre-arranged answers. "Well, we'd been seeing each other for a while, and when the message came that we might be separated from each other after this mission, we decided to make things official."

She nodded at them. "So you didn't marry until Captain Kirk received his communique."

"No, ma'am." They'd decided to go with the truth, when they could. "But we've been quite fond of each other for a while, and the idea of being parted didn't hold well with either of us. So..."

"Of course," she said crisply. "Who proposed?"

Leonard opened his mouth to speak when he heard Spock's voice. "Leonard asked if I would marry him, one afternoon in his office after the meeting with our Captain."

"Doesn't sound particularly romantic," she noted, tapping into her datapadd.

"Romance doesn't hold much with him," Leonard snorted. "We're not the wine and roses sort of couple, Lieutenant."

"I can see that," she said, finally a small smile on her face. "And there are many sorts of marriages, variations just among human population. Add other species and the variants of a legal union can grow exponentially. However," she added, "my job is to determine that isn't some hoax perpetrated by your captain to keep you both on board this ship."

"I assure you, Lieutenant, he-" Leonard started.

But Spock put his hand over Leonard's, interrupting him. "Lieutenant, you ask if we married in order to remain on board together. It is true, we did, in hopes that the captain could request Leonard as his physician and I be permitted to remain with him. But that does not mitigate the deep feelings we have for each other. It is insulting, to both Leonard and myself, to suggest that what we feel for each other is fabricated. My... admiration, my affection for him has grown deeper in the years since we've met, and I treasure him above all others."

Leonard got quiet after that. Not knowing what to say, he simply squeezed Spock's hand, and turned to face Lieutenant Rola.

"That's lovely," she said, adding more notes to her datapadd. "Please tell me about your shared responsibilities."

"We have both lived on our own so long, everything's separate still."

Her eyebrows furrowed at that. "No joint accounts or properties?"

"Um, no, not yet." That didn't sound good, Leonard supposed.

"What do your families think of this?"

Spock spoke first. "My family would not consider this marriage valid under their definition." Leonard's face tightened at that, but he did not say anything.

She seemed to accept that answer. "Are you planning on going to Natara and marry again under the Vulcan rites?"

Both of them were silent until Spock finally said, "We have discussed it."

Lieutenant Rola put her padd down. "What is stopping you?" she asked, curiously.

"I do not believe my family would approve of Leonard," Spock said simply. Leonard flushed again, embarrassed.

"And you? Your family?" she asked Leonard.

He shrugged. "I don't talk to them often, only my daughter. I wanted to introduce them to each other when we went home."

More tapping. She continued her questions, some of them expected, some of them not, such as-

"Who leads when you dance?"

Neither spoke, both of them hesitating slightly and Leonard was sure this was it, the question that would reveal the sham. "I apologize for the delay, Lieutenant," Spock began. "That was, at one time, something we argued over. We both have dominating personalities, but as I am the taller of the two-

"One inch, Spock, that's hardly a -" Leonard began, derision in his voice.

"However," Spock kept going, "since we typically dance to music that Leonard favors, I acquiesced and allowed him to take the lead."

"And what type of music does Doctor McCoy prefer?"

Spock leaned forward. "A regional derivation of antiquated Terran folk songs."

"What he's trying to say is that I listen to country music," he explained, hoping the small smile on her face was a good sign. "He listens to this electronic stuff, it's more like tones and chords and drums. No words, just some wailing. Nothing anyone could dance to."

"I dance to it, Leonard." They stared at each other for a moment before Lieutenant Rola cleared her throat. "Clearly a topic of dissension."

"We've got a couple of those," Leonard admitted, nudging Spock with his shoulder, trying not to laugh at the look on his face when their bodies touched. "I still like him, though."

"Indeed," he said, straightening his tunic.

"I think we can take a small break now, then continue with the individual meetings." She collected her things, and stood, stretching. "Tell me, do you two have any plans for your time-off?"

Leonard felt good about the meeting so far. "We'd talked about doing some sight seeing while on Earth."

"Anywhere in particular?"

"Arizona," Spock said calmly.

Leonard turned to look at Spock, trying to hide the confusion, hoping he masked it with a good-natured smile. "Yes, Arizona."

"Because -"

"The Grand Canyon," Spock noted, as if the answer were obvious. "From what Leonard tells me, it sounds fascinating."

"I may have threatened to throw him off a cliff once or twice," Leonard admitted, enjoying seeing Spock like this.

"I've been there," she said, another grin on her face. "I'm sure you two will enjoy yourselves there. I am going to have some lunch, and will meet you back here, Commander, in an hour. Doctor, I'll see you back here in two hours."

 

Leonard was running late, and unable to speak directly to Spock after his interview to see how it went. "My apologies," he told Rola, "sometimes time just gets away from me down there in Sickbay."

"I understand, Doctor," she said, "and I certainly don't want to take up any more of your valuable time. I just have a few more things to go over with you, without the Commander around."

"That's fine," he said calmly, knowing this was the tricky part, where they would get him to say something wrong and use it against him.

Some of the questions were routine enough - their personal habits, day-to-day activities. Who slept on what side of the bed, what they liked to eat.

"These questions might be somewhat personal, Doctor, I apologize. How is your sex life?"

"I- do you really have to ask that?"

"Doctor McCoy, it is not my intention to embarrass you.

But she continued to wait, quietly. "It's good. Fine," he added, feeling his face flush as he thought about last night.

"Which one of you is the active participant?"

Leonard snorted. "Well, its not like he lies there and just takes it, but I guess you'd say I was.

He could see that she was trying not to smile. "Is that by mutual agreement?"

He thought about their first time together, Spock bent over, offering himself, and felt his face flush. "It is."

"You mentioned earlier that you did not consider yourself a romantic sort of couple. Are there things you do that might be construed as affectionate or romantic?"

"Sometimes. We're not real demonstrative people, you know, especially when others are around. He likes to do this," he touched his fingers together, ''finger kissing. Its a Vulcan thing."

"How has being married to someone of a different species changed you?"

"It took me a while to understand that just because he didn't show it, didn't mean he didn't feel it." Leonard felt like he was explaining this to himself as much as her. "He's not a robot, he does feel, he just doesn't reveal those emotions often."

"But you see them."

"Occasionally. Probably more than anyone else. But even when I don't see that affection or lovey dovey stuff, I know that it doesn't mean he doesn't care. He isn't a human, and its unfair of me to penalize him for that."

She smiled wisely at that. "You've had this argument before?"

"Dozens of times, mostly with myself. Never had to articulate it like that before." Everything seemed to just click into place for Leonard. Perhaps Spock did care about him, in his own way. Maybe this marriage... wasn't so much of a sham after all.

"So, what color is his toothbrush?"

"He uses this little pic thing," Leonard replied, finally getting to something they'd talked about with each other. "It's Vulcan."

"I believe we're almost done here," she said, handing him a picture frame. "Commander Spock showed me this photograph earlier. Can you tell me when it was taken?"

Leonard took it, his eyes warming at the image. "About six weeks ago, my birthday dinner." In truth, it was taken three days ago, Jim insisting they needed something like this, some visual evidence. They'd made it look like a dinner party, complete with a cake and candles, and Jim took the pictures of them, cajoling them to look into the camera and smile.

But this wasn't one of dozens of stiff poses he'd endured. This was one of the impromptu ones Jim snapped, Leonard looking like he'd just snuck a bit of the frosting. Spock stood behind him, looking down at him with real affection in his eyes. "It was a good night."

"Looks like it," she said, taking the photograph back and placing it on the table. "You two look happy."

"We were." Leonard turned back to her. "We are."

 

Leonard was busy the next day, finishing up the inventory and record-keeping that went along with closing out a five-year mission. With any luck, he'd be back in three months, but just in case their plan didn't work and he was sent somewhere else, he didn't want the next CMO to think he was a slacker.

There was a nervousness in his stomach all day, knowing that Lieutenant Rola was interviewing other members of the crew, to see what they thought about his marriage. It worried him, that one wrong word from someone could make the difference between he and Spock staying on board or being sent away.

That night there was a party in the recreation room, one last celebration to end the first highly successful five-year mission of the _Enterprise_. Some people were moving on to other ships, some where staying on Earth, but Leonard knew that many more would be back for another trip around the galaxy with Captain Kirk.

 

 

"Hey Bones, has Spock said anything to you about the _Reliant_?" Jim asked as they headed into the party together.

Leonard frowned, looking around the room at all the people smiling and laughing, and saying goodbye. "No, why?"

"Nyota told me that he had a private video conference with them this morning, and I haven't seen him all day. Just wondering." But the look between them spoke volumes. Everyone knew Captain Terrell was shopping around for a new First Officer to replace him soon.

Leonard was at the refreshments table when he spotted Lieutenant Rola. "Did you have a good day, ma'am?"

"Oh yes, your ship is lovely. I can see why you'd want to stay. It's been a pleasure meeting you and your husband." She reached over for a glass of punch. "I must admit, I had my doubts when I read your profiles, but after seeing you two, and talking to your friends, its pretty clear to me that you two are clearly attached to each other." She took a sip, then added, "That's why I was surprised to learn he was considering that transfer."

"The _Reliant_?" he said, heart suddenly lodged in his throat.

"Yes," she said, looking worried. "If he goes I imagine that you'll be accompanying him?"

"We're still talking about it," he answered, his stomach turning inside. He'd had it wrong after all. It was just a sham. And after all this pretense, was Spock really planning on leaving?

But she was watching him intently. "You don't really want him to leave, do you?"

Leonard paused, feeling a bit lost. "If that's what he wants, I will support him."

"That sort of distance is hard on a marriage, Doctor." She gave him a knowing look. "I can speak from some experience there."

"If that's what he wants... he needs to do whatever makes him happy. I want him to be happy."

An hour later, Leonard still couldn't find Spock at the party, and was just about to go hunt him down when he walked in, dark eyes searching the crowd as if he were looking for someone.

"Hey."

"My apologies," Spock said, moving to Leonard's side. "I simply lost track of the time." He looked at Leonard, worried. "Are you well?"

"Just wondering where you were."

"I am here now." Suddenly he turned his head, that small smile on his face at the music. "Not a moment too soon. This is our song."

"Oh is it now?" Leonard asked, feeling that trouble and doubt lift away.

"Yes. I researched this genre fairly extensively, in case we were asked. I narrowed down the particular era you are fond of, the overly sentimental nature of the lyrics, and your penchant for female sopranos, and determined that this was our song."

Leonard listened for a while, finding the lyrics particularly poignant, full of longing and being hurt and opening up to something new. "Then we should dance." Pressing their foreheads together, he pulled Spock closer, turning on the dance floor, thrilled at the feel of Spock holding him tight.

 

The room was dark when they walked inside and headed straight for the bed, so it wasn't until the next morning when Leonard woke up alone that he noticed that all of Spock's things had been removed. It had only been a week, but the room seemed suddenly empty. He dressed and headed for Spock's old rooms, surprised that the doors opened up for him.

Spock was inside, packing everything up. "Going somewhere?"

"We have reached space dock, Doctor. We are all going somewhere." There was a moment before Spock spoke. "Have you spoken with your family?"

Leonard nodded. "They're expecting me in a few days." Another long pause. "You?"

"I have plans to sublet an apartment for the duration. Perhaps travel a bit."

Leonard waited a beat, stepping closer. "Are you coming back here?"

Spock stopped and took Leonard's face in his hands and kissed him, soft at first but then deeper, a needy sort of emotion between them that no one else could ever understand. This was two people coming together, people who needed each other. Leonard stood there, arms around Spock, when he heard his comm devise go off, then Spock's. Both messages from Jim. "You go on," Spock told him,murmuring against his cheek. "I will be there momentarily."

One more kiss and Leonard headed toward Jim's office for the last time this mission. But after he left the room, it occurred to him that Spock never answered his question.

 

From Jim's office window, he could see Earth space dock, like a parking lot, but Leonard felt safe in the knowledge that there wasn't any other ship out there like the _Enterprise_. One day, maybe, but not yet. "Bones," Jim called out happily from his chair. "Great job. Lieutenant Rola thought you guys were terrific, and her report is gonna reflect that despite the quick wedding, the marriage is real and I might just be able to keep you both."

Then he caught Leonard's face. "What's wrong? And where's Spock?"

"Packing," he said. "He'll be here in a bit."

"Well, I just wanted to give you the good news myself, so you could go off and have a great vacation. Maybe even spend some time together."

Leonard kept his eyes on the black space outside. "You know, don't you?"

"Know what," Jim said mischievously. "That you two are nuts about each other?"

"Dammit Jim, if I ever find out that you started this-"

"Hey look - the fact that other ships wanted you was real. As was the obvious thing going on between you two, that everyone saw but you two." Jim sat down, kicked his feet up on his desk. "If I was able to just toss an idea out there, to see how it went... well, I'll take the blame if I can also take the credit. So, you guys gonna try and make it work?"

Leonard stood staring at the other ships, all those other people. "I don't think so, Jim."

"Well, you should. Captain's orders and all."

Leonard turned to him. "What about you, Jim? You gonna go anywhere?"

Jim snorted. "This is my home, Bones. All I ever wanted was this," he said, spreading his arms wide around his office. "But you're not like me. You two, you might just make it work. Serving the ship and loving each other. I envy you guys," he said, his eyes very bright as he walked toward Leonard. "Go get him, okay? Seriously... consider it an order."

But Spock's room was empty by the time Leonard returned, not one trace that the Vulcan ever lived there.

"Computer, tell me the location of Commander Spock?"

"Commander Spock has left the _Enterprise_."

 

 

Leonard had lived in many places in his life, but right now, only one place meant 'home', and that was down Interstate 75, down a dirt road outside of Tifton in South Georgia. Aunt Cornelia's place. His mother's sister, the one person left, his daughter aside, that connected him to his Southern roots. Her farmhouse always smelled of cooking and Leonard loved visiting when he was younger, when there had been cousins to play with.

There was always room for someone to come stay a few days, and the woman made a mean omelet. Three eggs, though Leonard knew how bad that was for him, not to mention the bacon and hotcakes that she slid onto the plate. "It's too much," he told her, though he didn't reject the food. If anything, he finished it all and washed the dishes afterward, grateful for the real food. "It doesn't taste the same, in space."

"It's the sunshine," she told him, pouring another glass of milk. "Makes a difference." She had been quiet through breakfast, letting him eat in silence and listening when he spoke. But now the dishes were done, she sat across from him, taking his hand. "So, you gonna tell me about this?" she asked, pointing at the ring on his finger.

"Oh. Yeah. It's nothing." Just a piece of jewelry he hadn't the heart to remove.

She raised an eyebrow, looking eerily like his mom.

"Had some issues on board, political shit," he told her, honestly. "They wanted to move me from the _Enterprise_ , so Jim, the captain that is, he thought of this plan to keep me and the First Officer on board. Thought if we were married, we'd both get to stay."

"Did it work?" she asked, sipping a large cup of coffee.

"Sorta," he said, refilling his own cup. "But in the end, he decided to go to another ship anyway."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You still married?"

"I guess. I mean, it doesn't matter much," he shrugged.

"You're married, Leonard Horatio McCoy. Have you changed so much that something that important don't mean anything to you?"

He was about to argue with her, but... maybe she was right. Maybe it didn't mean anything to him anymore. But if that was true, why was he so sad? "I dunno."

The knowing look she gave him said more than any words. "C'mon," she said, pulling him up with a hug. "I'll show you to your room."

 

Being back in Georgia had a recuperative effect.

Even better, he had Joanna for a couple weeks. She arrived the day after he did, and they'd been inseparable, getting to know each other all over again. Little girls weren't quite as neat and tidy as he had imagined, and each day ended with a story on the porch swing, a good-night kiss, and Leonard sitting there, looking up at the stars, wondering where his husband was.

What he didn't know was how he ended up here, at an old-fashioned town dance. Cajoled by Aunt Cornelia into being her escort, he stood in the corner, drinking spiked punch as she chatted away with her friends.

He'd met Jocelyn at one of dances, years ago. He'd been young and cocky, like those kids over there, flirting with each other. Now he nodded at those who said hello as they passed, wondering who the new guy in town was.

After a couple hours, he decided to see if Cornelia wanted to go when he heard some excited chirping from the entrance. Looking up, he saw what they were talking about, someone new who just arrived.

Leonard walked to the refreshment table and was getting one more drink when he looked up and saw what the commotion was about - Spock, standing there, looking at him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, confused. Spock's elegantly casual clothes stood out here almost as much as his pointed ears.

"I - we have some unfinished business, it seemed prudent to get it completed before we parted ways." The music changed, got louder. "Is there a place we can talk, privately?"

Leonard nodded, turned and headed outside the back, toward the open field behind the dance hall. They walked a hundred feet or so, tall grass around them. Leonard pulled out a flask from his pocket, added it to his drink. "What do you need?" he asked, still curious what Spock was doing here.

"There was some legal paper work that I assumed you'd want taken care of sooner rather than later." He pulled out an envelope with some legal papers. "Our annulment."

His stomach dropped looking at it. "You couldn't have just sent this?"

Spock looked around at the town. "I confess some curiosity. You spoke of your home so often, with such affection."

It had been a long time since he'd seen Spock look so uncomfortable around him, but it wasn't because of their location. It was because Spock didn't want to be around _him_. "When are you leaving?" Leonard asked, not wanting to show the hurt he felt inside.

"There is a shuttle leaving here in three hours, the _Reliant_ departs from the shipyards in two days."

Leonard frowned, taking a drink. "I thought you were gonna travel a bit."

"Circumstances being as they are, I decided that it would be best to report for duty on board the _Reliant_ as soon as possible." Spock looked flustered for a moment, a strange look on his face. "Leonard, it was never my intention...

But he didn't want to hear anymore. Leonard turned to head inside when he heard it - their song - playing in the distance. He stopped, and turned to look at Spock, unable to keep the hurt off his face.

Then Spock took a step forward, extending his hand. "Leonard... would you honor me with one last dance?"

He couldn't say no. Leonard took that hand, and let Spock pull him close. The heat coming off Spock's body was so familiar, his scent, his thoughts permeating the back of Leonard's head, a familiar buzz, a connection between them that he understood now. His hands found Spock's face, and as he looked into those dark eyes, he saw that Spock felt it too.

Soon they were nuzzling and kissing, the poignant lyrics of the song meaning more right now than they ever had. Stumbling further into the fields, they lay down in the tall grass, touching and stroking each other, shuddering as they came in each others' arms. Afterward, Leonard looked up at the stars, his head back on Spock's chest. He heard Spock rumble in contentment, that familiar noise he made when he was happy.

Then Leonard's communicator went off. **Catching a ride back home with Lucille. Will leave key under the mat. Was that him?**

He chuckled, arms tighter around Spock. "Are you cold?"

"I am adequate."

"That's not what I asked."

"The temperature is colder than I am comfortable with, but I do not want to move." Fingers carded through Leonard's hair. "You keep me warm."

Leonard kissed him again. "You'll be just as warm in my bed. Come home with me." A look passed across Spock's face. "Don't leave tonight... not until we talk."

Spock leaned in and kissed him again. "There is nothing to discuss, Leonard."

"The hell there isn't." He propped himself up on one elbow. "Why would you take that position? After all we went through... why?"

"I know how important being on board the _Enterprise_ is to you. My leaving guaranteed that you remain on board."

"And it's important to you too, Spock."

"Your happiness, Leonard, matters more to me than anything else in my life."

Leonard swallowed hard. "You're an idiot."

There it was, that elusive smile. "So I have been told."

"How can I be happy without you?" Leonard pulled Spock toward him, even closer together, if that were possible. " _K'diwa._ " he whispered. _Beloved._ Spock's eyes widened slightly. "Yeah, I figured it out," he murmured, fingers touching Spock's jawline. "Don't leave me."

Spock's hands were on his back, one hand cradling the back of Leonard's head and he felt it, Spock's voice in his head, and he knew this was right. _I would lay here forever with you, Leonard, if we could._

_Then lay here, forever with me._

 

Leonard woke up the next morning to the sound of voices downstairs, his daughter's laughter. "It is very bright here," he heard from the other side of the bed.

"It's nine o'clock," he murmured into Spock's shoulder, tightening his arms around Spock's waist.

"Lights twenty percent," Spock called out, and Leonard laughed when nothing happened.

"Guess we need to voice program the sun to respond to your voice commands."

"I will get on that." Spock sighed, reaching for his hand. "I feel strange, being here."

"Oh, its only going to get weirder," Leonard told him, as Aunt Cornelia's voice wafted up the stairs.

"Breakfast, boys!"

Spock arched his eyebrow at Leonard but followed him down the stairs.

"Morning, Daddy! Morning, Mr Spock."

"Morning, Jo," he said, watching Spock greet his daughter. "You two know each other?"

"I was honored to make Miss McCoy's acquaintance last night," Spock said, introducing himself to Cornelia. "She explained to me where you went."

"How was the dance, Daddy?"

"It was fine, darlin'. Lots of music." The rest of breakfast consisted of the ladies interviewing Spock, asking all sorts of questions.

Leonard was washing the breakfast dishes when he heard Joanna ask Spock how long he was going to be staying with them. "I have not yet decided. Your father has promised to show me around if I do stay."

"You should stay them. He's good at that."

"Miss McCoy, have you ever been to the Grand Canyon?"

"No, but I want to go."

"We should make him take us."

"Today?"

Leonard watched them as they walked out the front door. He didn't hear Spock's response, could see his lips moving as they headed out toward the barn. Their eyes met across the porch.

_You staying?_

The arch of an eyebrow said as much as any words ever could. _Of course, Leonard, why else would I be here._ He looked at Leonard's robe, tilted his head slightly. _In any event, you are taking your daughter and me to the Grand Canyon, so go get dressed. Now._

Leonard laughed to himself, then headed back upstairs to do just that.

 

03.15.2011


End file.
